Touch Screen Hover Detection and Motion Signal Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices with touch screen and motion sensors face challenges in accurately generating combined user interface control signals, particularly due to adverse dampening of acceleration signals when multiple fingers are on the screen, which affects the precision of touch detection and impulsive strength determination.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that combine touch screen hover and touching detection indications with motion values, processing these signals to calculate impulsive strength by determining the elapsed time between hovering and touching, and correcting motion values for accurate user interface control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If motion sensors are used to detect touch impact and impulsive strength, then user interface control precision is improved, but measurement accuracy deteriorates when multiple fingers are simultaneously on the screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the touch detection process into distinct phases: hover detection phase and touch detection phase. By separating these phases temporally, the system can accurately measure motion values during hover when fewer fingers are present, and then use those values to correct motion measurements during actual touch, thereby resolving the contradiction between improved detection precision and maintained reliability under multi-finger conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary hover detection before actual touch occurs. During the hover phase, motion sensors capture baseline motion values with fewer interfering fingers. These preliminary measurements are then used to calculate correction factors that are applied during actual touch detection, allowing the system to maintain measurement accuracy even when multiple fingers are present during the actual interaction.
2Measurement precision
If acceleration signal contribution is scaled to compensate for multi-finger dampening, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary hover detection to establish baseline motion values before actual touch occurs. By capturing motion data during the hover phase when finger interference is minimal, the system can pre-calculate correction factors that simplify the subsequent touch detection processing, reducing the need for complex real-time scaling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces hover detection as an intermediary measurement phase between the user's physical action (touch) and the final measurement (acceleration signal). This intermediary hover phase provides reference values that mediate the relationship between raw motion sensor data and corrected acceleration signals, simplifying the overall processing by providing a clear reference point for correction rather than requiring complex real-time scaling algorithms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If touch and motion sensors are combined for user interface control, then adaptability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to signal interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection process into distinct temporal phases: hover phase and touch phase. During the hover phase, the system captures motion values with minimal interference. During the touch phase, it captures actual touch events. This temporal segmentation allows both sensors to contribute their unique capabilities while minimizing their mutual interference, thereby maintaining high measurement precision while preserving the enhanced adaptability of combined sensor systems.
Solution Approach 2:
By performing hover detection as a preliminary action before actual touch, the system establishes clean baseline motion values that can be used to correct subsequent touch measurements. This preliminary phase ensures that the motion sensor data is obtained under optimal conditions (fewer fingers present), which then improves the precision of the combined touch and motion detection system rather than degrading it.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances user interface control by accurately determining the impulsive strength of touches, improving the precision of touch detection and volume control in applications like musical instruments, and enabling better interaction with devices through precise motion and touch integration.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitive touch sensor configured to output values indicative of sensed capacitance
Implementation Method 2
a motion sensor configured to make a motion detection and generate a motion signal including a motion value indicative of sensed motion detection
Data Source
AI summary
A touch sensitive display includes a capacitive touch sensor configured to output capacitance values. A motion sensor makes a motion detection and generates a motion signal including a motion value indicative of sensed motion detection. A touch detection circuit is coupled to receive the capacitance values and motion values. The touch detection circuit processes the capacitance values to make a hovering detection and a touching detection with respect to the display. The touch detection circuit further generates an output signal including the motion value correlated in time with each of the hovering detection and touching detection. The output signal may be processed as a user interface control signal. The output signal may also be processed to determine an impulsive strength of the touching detection as a function of an elapsed time between hover and touch and the measured motion values.